Lech Walesa, who liberated his countrymen from Communism’s hold and served as Poland’s first democratically elected president since World War II, was honored with the Lincoln Leadership Prize by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation (ALPLF) at a benefit dinner on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012, at The Four Seasons Hotel in Chicago. ALPLF CEO Carla Knorowski presented the award to the 1983 Nobel Laureate before 355 guests who helped raise more than $531,000.

“Everyone associated with our Foundation is so pleased that President Walesa accepted this honor and agreed to an exhibition highlighting his life and accomplishments that’s in our museum now,” said Knorowski.

The Foundation’s fifth benefit dinner to honor an individual for a lifetime of service in the Lincoln tradition was co-chaired by Gregory C. Case, president and CEO, Aon Corporation; Frank M. Clark, chairman and CEO, ComEd; Ellen Costello, CEO and U.S. Country Head, BMO Financial Corp.; Chaz Hammel-Smith Ebert, executive officer, The Ebert Company; Carrie J. Hightman, executive vice president and CLO, NiSource Inc.; Paul V. La Schiazza, president, AT&T Illinois; Raymond F. McCaskey, CEO (retired), Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois; and Gregory D. Wasson, president and CEO, Walgreen Company.

Established in 2006 by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation, the Lincoln Leadership Prize recognizes outstanding leaders who have accepted the responsibilities imposed by history and demanded by conscience. Lech Walesa joins the late Tim Russert, astronaut Captain James A. Lovell, Jr., Archbishop Desmond Tutu and retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, whom ALPLF has applauded for their lifetime of service marked by great strength of character, individual conscience and an unwavering commitment to the defining principles of democracy.

To learn more about the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, please visit www.alplm.org. (Photo Credit: Waldemar Reichert)